A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Note: my Privacy Policy can be found at a tab below. Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

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February 17, 2015

TIME OUT to DJKASE Kylie

Hello! I hope you all had a fantastic Valentine's Day and weekend! We had a wonderful time with the grandtwins (photos below) and I was still able to get creative after their bedtime so I could play in the current TIME OUT challenge.

The brief is to CASE a card made by the uber-talented card artist, challenge owner, web designer, and my kind and generous friend, Kylie Purtell of Kylie is Addicted to Stamps.

Here is my CASE, which I'm calling a DJKASE, so I can add it to my DJKASE tab at the top of my blog:

I changed it just enough to bring in my style. I did a switcheroo of the texture so my tag looks like Kylie's card base and I put the flowers on my card base, rather than on the tag.

I used Recollections white and SU strawberry slush for my card stock and Lil' Inkers for the stitched rectangle. (BTW, you might notice that I sometimes use the reverse side of the stitched mat because I think it looks less perfect and more like real stitches.) I also used NBUS Lifestyle Crafts e/f for the horizontal stripes, SU Sizzix Textured Impressions Stripes e/f for the vertical stripes, NBUS Paper Smooches for the stitched tag, Rubbernecker "2 Daisies" for the flowers, NBUS Avery Elle sediment from "All Squared Up," and ribbon from PTI.

There. I'm nothing if not an equal-opportunity productionist!

I used my SU markers to color directly to the stamps, followed by a light shower of mist. Of course, the blooms had to shine, which I was able to capture a little bit in this photo:

Please click on the challenge links for all the details on rules, sponsors, and prizes.

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Rant

I had quite a jarring experience when this post suddenly went belly up and died on me. Worse, I have no idea what I did wrong to ensure it doesn't happen in the future. I know our blog posts are saved regularly, but "undoing" brought me no reparation. I Googled until I was googly-eyed trying to find the answer. There are asundred posts about recovering, but you have to be a computer programmer to be able follow the instructions.

The worst websites are the how-to posts with five thousand links that are supposed to be helpful, but lead you, like a scared rat, through a maze. So, for instance, if you need to go to your cache, and you don't know what your cache is, you can click on the highlighted word cache, which will take you to the post about caches, but first you need your identification numbers, which instructions are helpfully highlighted so if you don't know how to find them, then you simply click there and when you get there, you have to double-back to your history and if you don't know how to find your history, you just click on the word and you will be taken to another planet and given Kool-aid and then you board a white bus which will go down a rabbit hole ...

After a couple of hours of that, you give up and start the whole thing over. Beverage?

On a Happier Note;

I will leave you with a mahoosive portphotio.

Here we have a few collages of our weekend with our beloved grands, Adam and Henry:

As opposed to the East Coast, the West Coast is enjoying unseasonably warm weather which has the flora all in a tizzy of early bloom. Here, a gasp-inducing hillside of California poppies even though it is only the middle of February:

We decided we needed an updated picture of the four of us so after trying to figure out the timer, here is the progression:

Setting up the shot.

The Unposed Shot.

The Posed Shot

As Good As It Gets

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After wards, I went off to a fun lunch with Kim and Harriet at Harriet's home in the Snob Hill region of San Francisco.

Harriet, Darnell, Kim

We do enjoy having our photo taken under the portrait of Harriet's Great-Aunt Maude Marvy, who was the originator of the first dual-tip marker!

Okay, not. Actually, we were at a restaurant, but I had you going there for a second, didn't I? (Harriet's like, "What?!") These two talented ladies are such a kick!! We are fortunate to live near each other!

~~~

All right, off you go! Enjoy your day! No, seriously, enjoy. LITS!*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

*Life Is Too Short!

To open the pop-up comment box that let's you jump to the end w/o scrolling:

Click CTL + Home. Click the Home tab under my blog banner which resets the post.Click Page Down to reach the end of the post.Click Comments and the pop-up box opens.Click Jump to Comment Form; no more car pool tunnel! Mwah!If you ask me a question in your comment, please remember to leaveme your email address so I can respond. Thank you!

Love your card, tis bootiful, totally empathize with your rant, was almost taken in by great aunt marvy, and what gorgeous grandsons, looks like you had a ball. Tfs it all, and the lovely weather and scenery too! Xxx

Oh Darnell you made that goooooooooorjus card for me didn't you??? No??? awww.love it, especially the wee touch of glimmer. The rant I can fully empathise with - been there, done that and got out of the rabbit hole too - eventually, but still had to re-type the whole darn post!BlessingsMaxine

Love your take on Kylie's card. Your photos are great too - I'm so jealous of your good weather. I woke up to pouring rain this morning (I live in Shetland, in the far north of Scotland.) Spring seems very far away at the moment.

Sat here admiring your beautiful family photos Darnell and still giggling over your rant! Been there grrrr! Oh and initially I came across to comment on your fabulous card. Love how you've 'tipped' Kylies card 'on it's head' so to speak! Ingenious and I love it. Thanks for taking the time out. Sarah GD xx

Oh my goodness...the pictures of your grandsons are absolutely adorable...and you had me on the picture! Too fun! Love, love, love your case of Kylie's card. The shimmer is perfect. Thanks so much for playing with us at Time Out!

What a fab take on Kylie's card Darnell, love how you switched the flowers and the texture around.Your Grandson's look to have had a fab time with you and the poppies look stunning.Thanks for sharing with us at ATSM as well! :)

Fabulous card and fabulous post ... You made me smile ... I hear you with the Technicalities of computers ... I mean why don't they use words that mean something ... the little icons are mostly straightforward but I swear they do it to make us feel like idiots and then call out a computer guy who'll charge a fortune!Love the photos BTW ... It looks really nice and sunny too!

Darnell, your card is way out of the park! All that embossing would have me in the looney bin, but wow, you rocked it. Why isn't anyone else showing the stitches on their stitched dies lik you do? That makes tons of sense!

Cute photos of the twins and love the one with the four of you!! Your card is so fun Darnell, full of texture and PRETTY flowers! The originator of the dual tip marker huh...oh to be in your head for a day, what FUN that would be!!!

So much loveliness to comment on! First, the card is beautiful. Love the glimmer you captured. How fun for your grandtwins and you to be so close and spend such fun times together! Thanks so much for the giggle about the lovely photo with your friends. And oh my goodness, what a beautiful field of poppies! You are indeed one lucky, lucky lady-well, except for the bit about traveling down the computer rabbit hole. Guess we gotta deal with that kind of stuff a little to fully appreciate the rest, right? Hugs!

Darnell, your CASE on Kylie's card is just gorgeous! I love all the texture on the tag and the shimmer on the flowers! How frustrating to lose a blog post! Hope it was just a one time fluke...Seeing all the green and the flowers around you makes me think you live on another planet! Being blinded by all the snow and cold here I have a hard time believing that it might be different in other areas! LOVE California poppies! Do the bloom only in the spring?

Yet another new word to learn, DJKASE! Yesterday you hand me stumped with Sarntangle. You certainly keep us on our toes, Darnell! Love your simply beautiful monochromatic creation. And the twinks are getting so big!

Firstly - your card is absolutely gorgeous! So fresh and beautifully made. I'd never have thought to reverse the stitched die cuts - how clever of you. Great photos - love your boys and I bet you have such fun!

Ha, ha - you had me good and proper at Aunt Maud - little scallywag :)

Also, HUGE thanks for your gorgeous V card which arrived before the day. I love it!!

I LOVE your CASE of Kylie's card. The treatment you gave to that flower is STUNNING. I will have to get out my SU! markers again. I have not colored on a stamp in years.

You had me with the Aunt Maud. I was like "wow-how cool" and then I read on. You are a hoot.

I totally do not understand anything you said about cache's etc but I know I wrote and saved a post last week that was not there an hour later. I just wrote it all over again. Sounds like it is the faster way to go after reading all that you went through!!

That card is scrumptious...as are the photos you took of your weekend. That hillside of poppies is what my backyard is going to look like in a couple of weeks. My sig-other says they're weeds and wants to pull them up...I told him, if he did, he'd be sleeping alone until the next millenium IF he survived my wrath.

I love your gorgeous card Darnell and the lovely shimmering daises so beautifully coloured and the two different stripes for the card and the tag work wonderfully, and I love Kylie's original card too. I love the photos of you and your grandsons - they obviously know how to have fun like their Gran (I'm not sure this is right as I think they have a special name for you but can't remember what it is). I love the other photos too, especially those adorable poppies and in February, it's not fair! Glad you had a great lunch with your two friends too. x

O, what a nice post. :-) Your card is awesome. I like the shiny effect on the bloom. Thank you for sharing super nice photos of your twins. :-) I suppose you have a lot of laughter and a very nice time during the boys are there. :-)Hugs, Sonja

First of all ... LOVE your CASE of Kylie's tag card. So pretty! The blooms are gorgeous and love the addition of the embossing that adds so much texture and depth. FYI, this would be perfect for the HLS CAS Embossing challenge that's going on right now if you want to join in.

Second, you know that I'm also on the westcoast ... and we are having unseasonably high temps as well. My camelia bush is in full bloom ... so early! Maybe I'll hobble to the window and take a pick to include in my next post :) Lolly xx

I love your card with the nicely painted flowers. I like the card being half embossed. The pictures of your grandkids are great especially the unposed shot as it looks like one must have said something funny and the other is ready to give a little smack:) You both look like proud grand parents (love the background of the flowers too which are still beautiful from your last shots). As for your problem with the blog-you made me smile today. For some reason I am a bit low (may be it is the -15C weather for the past week) and you placed a real smile on my face. You have a great day! (I would have been looking up what cache is too)

Hi Darnell, I just had to pop by and thankyou for the lovely comment you left on my blog. You really made my day, so thanks :-)Love your card with that gorgeous texture. And what great family pics - you look like you're haing loads of fun taking them.Ha ha! Dual tip markers.. that really cracked me up.Caroline xxx

I'm still laughing here at Harriet's Great-Aunt Maude Marvy!! Yes you certainly did have be going! haha! Wish I lived close so we could eat out and laugh :D LOVE your card!! Your rendition of Kylie's card is fabulous! The watercolored look flowers and beautiful embossing go together just perfect! ((Hugs my friend!))

Love everything about this post, Darnell!!! The lovely DJKASE of Kylie's card, the story about the lost post, the lovely Californian poppies, the sweet family photo's and the photo of you three with aunt Maude!!! Always such fun visiting you!!!!!Have a great day!!

Fabulous card Darnell, I love the crisp embossed lines and it 's a great idea to reverse the stitched edges. The Rubbernecker stamps are lovely and are high on my wish list at present. Your daisy is beautiful with the added shine.It looks like you had a fun weekend, thanks for sharing your lovely photos.Jean x

What a beautiful DJKASE card Darnell, I so wish I could a card that looks as beautifully clean as you do!

The photos are great, I love those poppies (my Mum used to wear California Poppy perfume) and the coastal ones are beautiful - the weather looks wonderful. Love the pics of the fabulous four too! Hugs, Anne xx

Hi Darnell,what a wonderful and lovely post.Your pics of family, and friends are fab.That picture in the background of your friends house is wonderful and such a striking lady.She looks like a movie star.Love your super design card, and what a fab interpretation of Kylies.Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

OMG girl ... I am still ROTFL! I just love visiting your blog ... you are always so UPLIFTING!!!Love the cards of course but even more so loved the Rant and the Photos! You are SO LUCKY to have those temperatures ... it is in the teens (high)and single digits/below zero at night ... LOVED the floral hillside ... took my breath away! Can I come visit??? Please!! ?? lol! Thanks for ALL YOU DO ... HUGS from OHIO!Darlene

Superb and very classy card, love the colours in the flower and your layout.Fabulous photo's, really cool Grandson's and the scenery is gorgeous.We had Grandson's for tea because Grandma makes the best pancakes, think you call it Fat Tuesday but to us it is Pancake Day.

Wow your CASE is amazing Auntie!! I love your tags and I love those shimmery flowers! The embossing is just beautiful too. Oh I've been down that road of clicking on this to understand that and clicking and clicking and clicking! Yeah, I'm better off not knowing anything. lol And I don't know much and that is fine by me! lol I love, love the beautiful pictures, the poppies are stunning, wish I could see them in person. All the scenery is just beautiful. I love the pictures of the boys horsing around, oh how I miss those days when my 6 were in the house doing the same thing. Those pictures put a big smile on my face! I love the shots of getting an updated pic of the 4 of you. Remember those days too, I wanted a nice picture but one of my guys would be doing something that I didn't want them to be doing. lol After a while you take what you get! I notice one of the boys has a bloody toe, ouch! Love that they can be outside barefooted, wish we would get some warm weather. I think it is time next year to swap weather with you Californians. lol Enjoy!! Hugs, Brenda

Gorgeous card! Love the embossing and the flowers are so pretty! The photos are fabulous - it looks like you had an awesome time with Adam and Henry. I was totally fooled by Great Aunt Maud Marvy - you had me fooled for a moment there! Then I laughed lots! xxx

Stunning card, Darnell. I'm so glad you commented on my card and I found my way over here. Following you is going to be a real pleasure, not just because of your sensational projects, but also because I love the way you write.

Thank you, Darnell, for another wonderful post! I like your card immensely. The tip to use the reverse side of the stitched die is a great one.

But, I love the photos best - the California poppies are just breathtaking. The pics of you and your hubby and the twins are just priceless!! And, I loved the "story" you created about the picture of you and your friends. Yes, you had me going for a minute there.

Darnell...so happy you made it home after all your "beverages" wink**winkMeeting up with you and Harriet is always such a wonderful treat and I always look forward to it. So much fun! I do love your story...Now on to your card, this is just fabulous...what a wonderful cas of Kylie's card, so so beautiful! Enjoy your week.

Don't know where to start with my comments, Darnell. At the top, I guess. I love your twisty turny CASE of Kylie's card, and your flowers are beautiful. I mean the ones you markered but the poppies are, too. Love the picture of the boys. Takes me back to when my youngest were that age. I hate to burst your bubble but I saw Kim's post before yours so I knew there was some prefabrication there. ;-) Glad you had a good time at lunch.

Very pretty card. I really like the shimmer. I hate when stuff heads into cyber space never to return again! I am so computer illiterate. My grandkids put me to same. Love your "good as it gets" photo! So get this! We are having bursts of abnormally warm weather too! Would love to see all those poppies!

Wow, Darnell, I love your case, now that is what a Case should look like. Love the card, all the embossing and clean lines added in a bit of water color! You sure do know how to attract attention, love the stories. Happy Wednesday!

Kylie's card is spectacular & so is your case, Darnell! Loving those embossed lines! Such great pictures of your weekend with the grandtwins--precious times & they only come once. This weather is almost spooky--shorts in the middle of February?! My roses have so much new growth I actually pruned them today!

Fabulous card hun ..... I love the clean and fresh look to it, and those daisies are beautiful!Gorgeous pics of the grandkiddies too ... looks like you had a fun weekend. And I must say I have to see those poppies .... they look spectacular!! Big hugs ... Linda xx

Beautiful card. Love your stamp work and colouring. I am only just delving & getting more confident in making cards and actually finding it more enjoyable. I always used to say I don't do cards. Now I am doing layouts and cards.I mainly do my cards as gifts , never think to add them in challenges. Love your progression of photo's using the timer ( there is a scrapbook page right there) and the hill covered with flowers beautiful. Thanks so much for visiting my blog , I appreciate itMary

Darnell, I so appreciate your recent visit to my blog...you say the nicest things, girl! Love your take on Kylie's card...especially the sparkle :) And I enjoy seeing your grands and the other pix! Love that you get to spend time with stamping girlfriends...so cool!

Stunning CASE of Kylie's card Dippy - love the way you changed it around and those flowers are yummy!!! Not even going to comment on your rant as I so agreeeeeeeeee! Fab photo montage of you, Kevin, Henry and Adam - looks like you all had fun.........did the sprinklers get used?

This is a perfect DJKase of Kylie's card! I love how you've embossed the tag! Love your description of getting answers on the computer. Very similar experience to calling a Dr. or business! Sometimes it's just easier to start over. Less confusing! Great photos!

Your card is beautiful, Darnell, and I like your stripes, stitches, and mists....all super makings for a card. The flower is g-a-w-g-e-o-u-s.The photos are wonderful and I would love to be in that field of flowers. How beautiful and looks so warm. My part of AL will be 8 degrees tonight. Yikes! I know you are so proud of those twins. They are really growing up so fast. That's the trouble with kids, one minute they are tiny and the next, they are grown. Too bad.Have a fabulous day.

Good Lord! Do you have enough comments on this post!! Your card is gorgeous especially the flowers! I absolutely adore the way you colored your flowers.Your grandsons are so cute! They look like a handful and so much fun!I can relate to your blogging problem. I am convinced that my computer hates me and is in cahoots with Blogger.I will be in and out but will look in on you when I can. We are moving from North Carolina to Florida and I mean to tell you, everything is Topsy turvey!Sandy xx

PERFECT DJKASE of Kylie's card. Adore your embossing on this absolutely stunningly gorgeous card. Those flowers!!!! Oh! Those flowers! You've outdone yourself with this card. *sigh* WWCD here, hands down. And can you tell those boys of yours to stop growing?! They're so darn cute! Love all your family photos. And how lovely to have a day with Kim, Harriet, and "great-aunt Maude!" Yep. Had me going for a sec. You're so darn funny! Reminds me of that bodybuilder at Buca's by the lake house. I think he must be your great-uncle Mario! haha. Bev

Love the gold shine on those wonderful blooms! And those boys are so adorable! We are having weather in the high 70's and your right...everything is in bloom...I shake my head and keep saying "But it's only February" my roses have buds! lol

I would have left a comment yesterday but I found the jump to the comment box and I don't know where it tool me! No seriously I'm still at my house at Snob Hill playing with my aunts markers! I couldn't decide which ends to use since they are dual you know. I noticed no one thought twice about the fact that I live in Snob Hill = only the fact that my aunt discovered dual tip Marvy Markers!!Snort! Anywho great story Darnell! I had a fab time with you and Kim as always and am looking foreard to our adventure to Santana Row next month! Mwah, Harriet

Love your DJKase of Kylie's beautiful card - switching things round makes such a difference but keeps the fresh, pretty look! Thanks for sharing with us at Time Out :) Love your photos and stories, as ever!

I absolutely LOVE what you have done here with your card! I'm so glad I got a chance to stop by and see your blog as well. Thank you so much for playing along at our new Monthly Meet Up Challenge!LauraLil' Inker Designs

I love the CASE you made. It is a beautiful equal opportunity card. Loved seeing your family pictures. The scenery is so gorgeous and your patio is just the most relaxing and peaceful place. I'm with you about some of those websites. I wish they would please just tell me in simple English! I would love to spend time with some of blogger friends. It would be nice to know where everyone lives or if they live close by. I think that would be so much fun.

Stunning and inbelievably cool card!! Love how classy and gorgeous it is!! So fun to see all those photos!! And I old Kim on her blog that one of these days I am going to make it to CA to meet up with you three!!! Have a delightful day!!!

I had already commented on this twice but they aren't there, so third time the charm!! Fingers crossed. Firstly, I absolutely love your CASE of my card, Darnell. I love that you embossed half the tag and those flowers are super pretty. The photos of the poppies is awesome - thanks for sharing that one. Great family shots too! Those twins are cuties and the oldies aren't too bad either ;) I had no idea that Harriet lived at Snob Hill. I will have to give her some stick about that, lol. How fun you were all able to catch up. Lastly, thanks so much for playing along at Happy Little Stampers xx

What a superb CASE!! Really love the way you embossed with the lines and the flower is stunning! Bet you had a wonderful time catching up with the girls and those grand-children of yours are growing like beans (as all children should!!).

Lovely cards! and, again, you gave me my laugh for the day! Just love your sense of humor!Love the photos...You all look so nice. I also loved the scenery that brought back such lovely memories of my trip to California. And Yes, I remember the weather was so much nicer there then here. smile.

Sorry for the late visit, it's all a bit hectic with me at the moment! What a gorgeous case of Kylie's card, I love the way you've switched the design around and the shimmer you added is beautiful. As for technology, don't get me started, I'm purely Google and Blogger Help taught, so have experienced the same frustrations...we get there though don't we?! Lovely pictures too xx

I LOVE this and the FUN way you made it YOURS!! SORRY to hear you are having computer troubles, mine just die!! AHAHAHAHAH~I hate when things go aria!! Oh WELL, hopefully they won't stay that way for LONG!!?? THANKS for sharing and have a FABULOUS WEEK!! =)

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About Me

I have been stamping and making cards since 2002. I've been married 47 years to Kevin, known herein as "Mister." Our son Daniel and his wife Rachel have twin sons Henry and Adam. Card-making and blogging are wonderful hobbies which have brought me noodles of friends! Oh, and I have an imaginary hamster named Hammy who keeps me in line. Thank you for visiting, joining, and commenting! It will be my pleasure to return the flavor!!